Lochnagar Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Apologies if I've posted this in the incorrect section, feel free to move etc. Firstly, I don't want to start a debate about this known Heljan 47 problem, as it's being sorted out by Howes, but just wondered if anyone had any experience of their loco fairing worse than mine? I've seen quite a few of these crack the body corners but nothing resembling the damage here, it's the worst one I've seen with approx 1 cm of growth. To the best of my knowledge, the expanding chassis is due to an impure 'Masak' metal mix, which continues to decay and crack, and will eventually fall apart. The good folks at Howes have agreed to send me a brand new chassis in its entirety, but alas no more bodies are available. This isn't the end of the world as I can source one pretty cheaply now from ebay or on here. Fixing this one is out of the question as it's been irreparably stretched, and has warped in most directions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 You could ask Debs (from the parish of Early Risers) to wear her dominatrix costume and bring along her switches ............... Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Bloody hell - that's the kind of movement you'd see in plate tectonics! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochnagar Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 Bloody hell - that's the kind of movement you'd see in plate tectonics! Exactly! Have to admit the swearbox had a few pennies added to it when I opened the box. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Definitely too much Fibogel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 It's trying to grow up into an O gauge model.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochnagar Posted July 8, 2013 Author Share Posted July 8, 2013 So if anyone has a decent 47145 body kicking around. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Are you sure that's not a Deltic chassis? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted July 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2013 Makes all the quibbles about Hornby 42/72xx locos pale into insignificance! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verityboo Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 At least the length to width proportions are now about right Good to hear Howes are replacing the chassis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_R Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Not a nice sight! More worrying is the fact that this looks like a very recent model - the Rails limited edition from December 2010? This may to point to another outbreak of chassis rot in class 47's or did Heljan and/or their suppliers slip in a few old chassis castings into the supply chain? Edited thanks to not engaging brain! Better start checking my Heljan loco's - maybe my Hornby and Bachman as well.....or why worry as they only cost an average of £70 and can easily be replaced with a new model which in turn can be replaced in a few years time when that fails. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted July 10, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2013 The Rails Ltd.Ed. is Bachmann.....not Heljan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_R Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 The Rails Ltd.Ed. is Bachmann.....not Heljan. Thanks Ian - must engage brain before typing this early in the moring! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddys-blues Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 "Ooooh err Matron look at the length on that chassis !!!" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted July 21, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 21, 2013 Having read this thread, I rather worriedly checked all of my HJ 47s (I have a few, of varying ages) and found them all to be OK. They're kept in a part of my house which doesn't suffer from any temperature extremes - could this have any relevance or am I just lucky (for now)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagrizz Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Colin, the problem is caused by impurities in the metal - how you store them is not a factor. I think the earlier posts have identified the locos which are susceptible. In my case it was GSYP D1734 for which Howes supplied me with a replacement chassis. I still store my Heljan 47's with bodies separated from chassis...........just in case. Graham Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted July 28, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thanks Graham, I hadn't thought to do that - perhaps I'd better do some dismantling! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium richierich Posted December 28, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 28, 2014 That makes the Hornby Class 31 super detailed first batch chassis issues which are also down to mazak impurities looks like a minor quibble! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bully3490 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 When I get 5 minutes I will post a picture of mine the same has happened if not worse and on the same model I got 2 47s at the same time the blue 1 and an ews 1 ews is fine blue 1 is totally ruined Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hayes Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Apologies if I've posted this in the incorrect section, feel free to move etc. Firstly, I don't want to start a debate about this known Heljan 47 problem, as it's being sorted out by Howes, but just wondered if anyone had any experience of their loco fairing worse than mine? I've seen quite a few of these crack the body corners but nothing resembling the damage here, it's the worst one I've seen with approx 1 cm of growth. To the best of my knowledge, the expanding chassis is due to an impure 'Masak' metal mix, which continues to decay and crack, and will eventually fall apart. The good folks at Howes have agreed to send me a brand new chassis in its entirety, but alas no more bodies are available. This isn't the end of the world as I can source one pretty cheaply now from ebay or on here. Fixing this one is out of the question as it's been irreparably stretched, and has warped in most directions. IMG_0355.jpg I think that is an impressive amount of growth there, I actually think you could repair the body, I could at least , That is if its broke clean through the yellow areas. Just glue it back neatly with poly cement, Then get yourself some MrSurfacer 500 and apply 2 layers with a cock tail stick, Then flat back with some Mylar padded files from Little Cars, Then mask off the yellow areas prime lightly with some Humbrol 64 grey from a spray can, Then spray your yellow, Try and do this so you can blend an very small area of the existing yellow, Then give it a spray over with Humbrol Satin Varnish from a rattle can and you should be back in Business. Not trying to teach you to suck eggs just trying to help Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Someone was selling one like this on ebay for "spares or repair". If I recall correctly it wasn't that cheap either. Model was 47826 springburn in intercity. Not a bargain me thinks... Wouldn't have thought either chassis or body good for anything... M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonC Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 cut the cab off for an accident victim perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochnagar Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 I think that is an impressive amount of growth there, I actually think you could repair the body, I could at least , That is if its broke clean through the yellow areas. Just glue it back neatly with poly cement, Then get yourself some MrSurfacer 500 and apply 2 layers with a cock tail stick, Then flat back with some Mylar padded files from Little Cars, Then mask off the yellow areas prime lightly with some Humbrol 64 grey from a spray can, Then spray your yellow, Try and do this so you can blend an very small area of the existing yellow, Then give it a spray over with Humbrol Satin Varnish from a rattle can and you should be back in Business. Not trying to teach you to suck eggs just trying to help Believe it or not, I did actually fix this one. The chassis was obviously stripped of useable parts and then sent off to Howes for replacement (brand new RTR chassis in return for your old knackered bare block) which is pretty good. As long as you provide some sort of receipt between £50-90 with it. Anyhow, I couldn't find another 47145 body, so I repaired it. The breaks were pretty clean and only required a partial repaint which was blended in with a bit of weathering. Unless you looked REALLY hard, you couldn't tell! Obviously not worth the aggro if you've got another body lying around, but my customer wanted 47145. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hayes Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Good to know you saved it. It's such a shame that these locos had these problems. I love the Heljan 47 but sold mine off in case it ever happened. I just hope the problem is a thing of the past as I have just bought into Heljan with my first 0 gauge loco in the form Of a class 40... I could not resist a giant whistling giant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Colin, the problem is caused by impurities in the metal - how you store them is not a factor. I think the earlier posts have identified the locos which are susceptible. In my case it was GSYP D1734 for which Howes supplied me with a replacement chassis. I still store my Heljan 47's with bodies separated from chassis...........just in case. Graham You can accelerate the process by placing it in a fridge and spraying water onto it daily. 1 month would equate to about 2 years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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